One of the most troubling pitfalls of the typical Western diet is a lack of dietary fiber. As an indigestible component of food, eating more fiber can help you lose weight, lower your cholesterol, stabilize blood sugars, and protect the health of your colon. Don’t let fiber get lost in your daily diet. If you have difficulty getting the recommended daily 25-30 grams of dietary fiber, here are some helpful tips:

Start your day with a fiber-rich cereal, like All Bran. This is an easy way to get a quick 9 grams of fiber.

Always eat a piece of fruit and some veggies with lunch. A salad is an easy way to get more fiber.

Eat the skin or peel (if edible). These usually have an abundance of fiber, so don’t peel your apples, nectarines or pears, and make sure to eat the skin off your potatoes.

Swap white bread for whole grain breads for an easy two extra grams of fiber. Or swap that brown bread for sprouted grain breads, which offer up to four grams of fiber in each slice.

Snack on nuts. Not only are they rich in essential fatty acids, they can bulk up your fiber intake too. Just one ounce of almonds has three grams of fiber.

See, it’s really not that hard to add more fiber to your day. A fiber-friendly diet today is worth a lifetime of health.

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